The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-11-05
Tie apparently simple question sud.

in vacant irritation. "Thats so," he
said, drawing a long breath; there's
suthn' in that"
"What did he says" continued the
young girl, impatiently.
"Not much. You've got the Pontiac,
Mott seq he. You betv seq l. 'What'll
you take for her and the lot she stands
on SEE he, short and sharp Some fel.
lers, Rosey," said Mott, with cunning
smile, would hev blurted out big fig.
ger and been cotched. That amt my
style. just looked at him. IN wait
fur your iiggers until next steamer day,
SEE he, and or he goes like shot. He's
awfully sharp, Rosey."
"But If he is sharp, father, and he
really wants to buy the ship" returned
Rosey, thoughtfully, cts only because he
knows it's valuable property, and not be-
cause he likes it ~ we do. lie can't take
that value away even il we don't sell it to
him, and all the while we have the COM
fort of the dear old Pontiac, don't you
seey''
This exhaustive commercial reasoning
was so sympathetic to Mr.. Motifs instincts
that he accepted it as conclusive. He,
however, deemed IL wise to still preserve
his practical attitude. "But that don't
make 1t pay by the month, Rosey. Suthin'
must be done. I'm thinking I'll clean out
that photographer.
Not just after he's taken such pretty
view OF the cabin front OF the Pontiac
from the street, father! No! He's going
to give us copy, and put the other in u
shop window in Montgomery street"
That's so" said Mr.. Mott, musingly;
''it's no SLOUGH OF an advertisement. The
Pontiac, the property Of A. Mott, Esq, Of
St 10, Mo. Send it on to your Aunt
Phoebe; sorter make the old folks open
their eyes-oh, Well, seem he's been to
some expense tittin' up an entrance from
the other street, well let him slide. But
az to that id old Frenchman Ferrers,
in the next loft, with his stuck up airs
and high falutin style, we must get quit
Of him; he's regularly gouged me in that
ere horsehair Specialization.
''flow can you say that, father" said
Rosey, with slight increase of color. 1T
was your own offer You know those
bales of curled horsehair were left behind
by the late tenant to pay his rent. When
Mr.. de Ferrieres rented the room after
wards, you told him you'd throw them
in in the place Of repairs and furniture.
1t was your own offer"
eyes, but didn't reckon ther'd ever be
a big price per pound paid for the darned
stuff for sofys and cushions and SIGH"
How do you Know he knew it, father"
responded Rosey,
'Then why did he look so silly at first,
and then put on airs when joked him
about it, eh''
Perhaps he didn't understand your
joking, father He's foreigner, and shy
and proud, and-not like the others. |
don't think he knew what you meant
then, any more than he believed he was
making n bargain before. He may he
poor, but think he's been-a--a-gentle
man"
The young girls animation penetrated
even Mr.. Motifs slow comprehension. Her
novel opposition, and even the prettiness
it enhanced, gave him IA dull premonition
Of pain. His small round eyes became
distracted, his mouth remained partly
open even his fresh color slightly paled.
"You seem to have been takin' stock Of
this yer man, Rosey,' he said, with faint
attempt at archness; ''if he warn't ez old
az n rrn,v oil bio ynnn,, fnntbn,e a
think he was maxim up to you"
But the passing glow had faded from
her young cheeks, and her eyes wandered
again to her book. 'Iie pays his rent
regularly every steamer night she said,
quietly as if dsmissing an exhausted sub
ject, land he'll be here in moment, I
dare say" She took up her book, and
leaning her head on her hand, once more
became absorbed in its pages
An uneasy silence followed. The rain
beat against the windows, the ticking Of
a clock became audible, but still MI Net:
sat with vacant eyes fixed on his daugh-
ter's face and the constrained smile on
his lips. He was conscious that he had
never seen her look 80 pretty before, yet
he could not tell why this was no longer
an unalloyed satisfaction. Not but that
he had always accepted the admiration OF
others for her rs a matter of course, but
for the first time he became conscious that
she not only had an interest in others, but
apparently n superior knowledge Of them.
How did she know these things about this
man, and why had she only now accident
ally spoken of them2 He would have done
so. All this passed so vaguely through
his unrenective mind, that he was unable
to retain any decided impression, but the
far reaching one that his ledger had OBJ
tanned some occult influence over her
through the exhibition of his baleful skill
in the horsehair speculation. ''Them
tricks is likely to take young girls fancy.
must look arter her." he said to himself
softly.
A slow. regular step in the gangway
interrupted his paternal reflections.
Hastily buttoning across his chest the pea
jacket which he usually wore at home as
single concession to his nautical sur
roundings, he drew himself up with some
thing of the assumption Of a shipmaster,
despite certain bucolic suggestions of his
bontS and lppS The foot stpns nnnroochpd